The present disclosure relates to seals used in automotive vehicles. It finds particular utility as a weather strip for doors. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Vehicles have many openings such as doors, trunks, tailgates and hatchbacks. In this regard, weather strips are used for sealing automobile compartments to prevent rain, dirt, mud, noise, external temperatures and the like from entering the compartment. Weather strips seal a space defined between the door, trunk, tailgate and the body panels located adjacent to the doors.
The sealing elements must have good durability, such that the opening can be opened and closed repeatedly, without losing the sealing ability thereof. The elements used in sealing the openings must also be securely attached to the vehicle body, to prevent them from separating therefrom, with resulting poor performance. A number of different seal and weather strip devices are known for sealing the interior of vehicles from the exterior, providing impact resistance and enhancing the appearance of the opening.
An example of a weather strip providing a seal between a door and the body portion of a vehicle can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,098 and is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, a door weather strip 2 is attached along an outer periphery of a door frame 4 of a vehicle door 6 to provide a seal between the vehicle door frame 4 and a door opening portion 8. The door weather strip 2 includes a base portion 10, a main seal 12 and a sub-seal 14. The main seal 12 is formed on an inside part of the base portion 10 integrally therewith for contacting the door opening portion 8, and the sub-seal 14 is formed on an outside part of the base portion 10 integrally therewith to seal a gap between an outer periphery of the door frame 4 and a facing door opening portion 8.
The base portion 10 has a generally triangular cross-section of which the thickness gradually increases outwardly, and a space 16 is provided in a widthwise center thereof for reducing the weight of the door weather strip 2 and improving the flexibility of the base portion 10. Ribs 18 and 20 are formed integrally with the base portion 10 so as to project in a widthwise direction thereof for fitting the base portion 10 in a retainer 22 secured to the outer periphery of the door frame 4. The sub-seal 14 which is formed on the outer side of the main seal 12 includes a protrusion 24 which protrudes from the base portion 10 towards the door opening portion 8, and a tubular part 26 which has a generally triangular cross-section. The tubular part 26 is composed of three walls, an upper wall 28, a lower wall 30 and a vertical wall 32. These three walls of the tubular part 26 define a space 34 having a triangular cross-section. The door weather strip 2 thus arranged is attached to the outer periphery of the door frame 4 such that a lower end of the vertical wall 32 of the tubular part 26 contacts an inside face of the peripheral part 36 of the door frame 4.
One method for improving the appearance of the door opening is to extend the interior lining of the door and/or the body panel into the seal zone. The present disclosed embodiment provides enhanced prevention of sound penetration into the passenger compartment in such a design.